The Grondrecht citizens' collective is concerned about a new soil remediation plan for Zwijndrecht, East Flanders, approved by the Flemish Public Waste Management Company, OVAM.
In a reaction published on Monday, the collective criticised the continuing uncertainty about the area's groundwater, and questioned the recommendation to avoid eating eggs from local hen houses.
The 3M chemical company , whose plant is the source of PFAS contamination, has presented its latest plan to clean up the soil in the residential and recreational areas of Beveren and Zwjindrecht. The plan involves replacing polluted soil with clean soil in areas where gardens or poultry houses are to be built.
PFAS are carcinogenic chemicals also known as eternal pollutants because they remain in the environment.
"According to the communication [from OVAM] it would appear that only gardens with vegetables or chicken coops are included in the sanitation plan, which is unfair," noted Toon Penen, a member of the Grondrecht collective.
According to the waste management company, the aim is not to eliminate pollutants by digging very deep, but rather to prevent exposure to these substances by cleaning up vegetable gardens and paddocks. Local residents who own such properties will be consulted, and samples will then be taken to determine whether excavation is necessary and, if so, to what depth, OVAM added.
An analysis is also planned to assess the risk of secondary pollution through groundwater. However, Toon Penen insisted that sampling must be "systematic, for all plots" since "that's the only way we'll be able to carry out a real clean-up."
Finally, OVAM's warning not to eat eggs from one's own henhouse is incomprehensible to the public, Penen says, adding that the collective feels that it calls into question the effectiveness of the measures put forward.
